The Regents Staff Awards are the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary staff members in the University System of Maryland. The awards honor excellence in the following categories: contribution to the institution; service to students in an academic or residential environment; effectiveness and efficiency; public service to the university or the greater community; and inclusion, multiculturalism, and social justice. Institutional staff nominating committees make recommendations to the institutional presidents, who review nominations and supporting material and forward recommendations to the USM Chancellor. The Regents Staff Review Committee makes the final recommendations. Each award carries a $2,000 prize provided by the institutions and the University System of Maryland Foundation.
2021
Julianna Brush
Award for Exceptional Contribution to the Institution
Juli Brush, Contract and Grant Specialist, has become known for her high level of commitment to UMCES, her positive impact on the work environment, and her collaborative approach. She has created partnerships that have helped the Horn Point Laboratory improve efficiency. Additionally, she goes above and beyond her official duties, working on a variety of UMCES committees. Included in this work is her service as Chair of the Staff Council and as an active member of the Mental Health Council. As UMCES President Peter Goodwin notes, Juli is the go-to expert on all aspects of grants and contracts, shared governance, leadership, and relationship-building.
2020
Monica Gellene
Staff Award for Exceptional Contribution to the Institution and/or Unit to Which the Person Belongs
Monica Gellene, Associate Director of Administration at UMCES’ Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology has been called ambitious, committed, self-motivated, and driven to succeed, and among the highest rank of administrators. She was lauded for her efficiency with essential tasks, her enthusiasm for taking on new projects, and her focus on professional development for herself and others in her department. Starting as a Coordinator at IMET in 2012, she was rapidly promoted to the position of Associate Director of Administration. In the past few years, Gellene has created a sustainability initiative, increased the efficiency of business processes, increased private fundraising and improved donor relations, and effectively coordinated between IMET’s partner institutions and the other UMCES labs.
2020
Amy Griffin
Staff Award for Outstanding Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment
Amy Griffin has made graduate students her first priority in all of her work since being hired as the Assistant to the UMCES Vice President for Education in 2014. In addition to fulfilling her roles in the accreditation and reaffirmation of accreditation processes, she has become the unofficial student services officer for UMCES. Words used to describe her include an integral component of the UMCES community, dedication, enthusiasm, initiative, trusted advisor, and student advocate. Griffin has served as the liaison between the UMCES Graduate Student Council and the office of the Vice President for Education since 2016. She has been key to ensuring UMCES continued accreditation compliance and to working towards re-accreditation and is always the first to step up to volunteer on issues that enhance the culture and support structure for students, staff and faculty. She has been the champion for ensuring students are represented on all relevant committees where students can gain experience and insights to the research enterprise or how higher education functions.
2018
C. Brian Duke
Staff Award for Effectiveness and Efficiency
Brian Duke has had a remarkable impact in his years as facilities manager at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, helping to create a facilities team that operates a complex and sophisticated campus. Commitment such as Brian’s demonstrates to visitors and potential students that UMCES does not just study environmental issues but constantly implements actions that reduce our institutional carbon, water, and pollutant footprints. Duke’s biggest contributions have been in the area of the efficiency and effectiveness of campus operations. These include leading improvements to buildings on campus that have yielded substantial savings on operation costs, leveraging opportunities to upgrade infrastructure while other projects are ongoing, and implementing a facilities maintenance program that ensures the maximum lifespan possible from the campus’ physical plant.